next story

Angelina Jolie and Octavia Spencer Get Smacked with Weight Criticism. Share Your Size-Prejudice Stories with Us

I had an uncomfortable feeling on Sunday during the Academy Awards—and it wasn’t an intuition that The Artist was going to bring home the Big One (I was rooting for The Descendents!). Instead, I had a hunch that, as soon as the show as over, people across the nation would be talking not about the big winners—but about Angelina Jolie’s seemingly ever-shrinking body.

Angelina Jolie sparked debate when she appeared slimmer than usual at the 2012 Oscars.

I wish I hadn't been, but this time, I was right. Twitter, Facebook and blogs were abuzz with comments about Angie’s slim frame. TMZ wrote, “Angelina Jolie Needs a Cheeseburger.” Snarky observers on various sites accused Angie of having an eating disorder or of using drugs. A few particularly cruel people went so far as to say she looked thinner than the malnourished kids she’s nurtured in impoverished countries.

Octavia Spencer with her Oscar!

Yes, Angie was the brunt of some pretty harsh words, but she wasn't the only one: the ridiculously talented (and now Oscar-winner!) Octavia Spencer was taking heat, too, as some of Hollywood's curvier women often do.

Octavia’s been fielding tons of questions about her body this Awards Season—and late last month, she spoke out on her Facebook page, fed up: “I am not worrying about my weight. I am not trying to conform to an unrealistic model of beauty.”

Whether it’s skinny-bitching on Angie (or LeAnn Rimes and Demi Moore), fat-bashing on Octavia (or Christina Aguliera and Kelly Clarkson) or unkind words said among friends--including the non-famous among us, not a day goes by without a woman’s weight—large, small or somewhere in between—being under intense scrutiny.

Ladies, I’d love to know what you think. Why are we acting so mean to our fellow women? Have you ever felt personally judged or stereotyped for your size? What did people say? What assumptions did they make about you because of your size? Share your experiences in the comments!